Chapter 22 | On the Way Home From a Part-Time Job
Rika finished her part-time job and is going home.
It’s evening…or rather, the sun has already completely set.
In front of the cafe.
“Rika. See you tomorrow.”
“Ah…”
“? What’s wrong?”
Rika mumbled.
“…nothing, nothing. Good night.
Dahlia-san, another gal who had also finished her part-time job, sighs, “Good grief.”
“Ah right, Virgin-kun. I have a favor to ask you.
“A favor? What is it?”
“I want you to take Rikatan home.”
Dalia-san hugs Rika.
“Wait! Dahlia…!”
“I always take Rikatan home after my part-time job. But today I can’t because I have another job. So please walk her home.”
Work…
I wonder…?
“My work is, work♡ you know♡”
Dahlia-san licks her tongue.
Oh, let’s not get too deep into it.
“I have to go soon. So take care of Rikatan.”
“Wait, Dahlia!”
Dahlia tapped me on the shoulder.
“He’s your boyfriend, he needs to take you home. It’s late at night.”
Oh, I see…she was being considerate.
I mean, well…yeah…that’s right.
I mean, a normal boyfriend is supposed to give her a ride home, right?
“Thank you.”
Dahlia-san smiles and waves to us.
“Byebye~★.”
Daria-san quickly left.
Only me and Rika were left behind.
“…you’re being weird, silly.”
“I’ll take you home. Compared to Daria-san, I may be a bit unreliable.”
Paa…! Rika smiled and then shook her head.
“No, that’s not true. With Shin-chan around, the streets are safe at night. You’re a force to be reckoned with!”
“Ha-ha-ha, thanks. Well, let’s go home.”
So I walked Rika home.
We walked to Rika’s house together.
Rika was looking at my hand.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing…it’s just…your hands…I just thought…”
Rika is looking at my hand.
“Yeah, it’s… it’s cold.”
“Yes, you’re right! So, you see… your hand… right?
Rika holds out her right hand while blushing.
Her shyness is very cute…
I grab Rika’s hand with a squeeze.
Rika’s mouth is agape and she sniffles.
“Don’t get me wrong~♡ This is to prevent getting lost on the streets at night~♡”
We have become lovers, albeit fake.
It is difficult to say whether we need to pretend to be lovers outside of school.
But there is also the fact that you never know when and where people at school might be watching you…
I don’t know where and when people at school might see us…
The truth is that I am somewhat pleased to hold hands with Rika.
“Um…well…you know. Shin-chan… we’re already at the apartment.
“Oh, it’s pretty close, huh?”
“Yeah…I see…”
Rika makes a dark face.
She glances at me, her eyes expecting something.
I wonder if she doesn’t want to go home….
“Um…well…uh…ah… Look, Rika! They’re selling baked sweet potatoes!
“What? Where is it?”
“Look, there it is! Let’s go!”
There was a man selling baked sweet potatoes by the park.
I bought a baked sweet potato for two from him.
“Oh, money?”
“Okay, I’ll pay for it.”
“But…”
Rika looks apologetic.
Suddenly I remembered my conversation with Dahlia-san.
“It’s okay. You’re doing this part-time job to make ends meet, right? You should save up the money.”
Rika rolls her eyes.
However, her face turns a little sulky.
“Okay, let’s eat.”
“Yeah…”
What happened to her face?
We sat down on the bench.
Rika is sitting right next to me.
“Oh, um,… why are you so close to me?”
“Is it not okay?”
She pleaded.
“Oh, no…it’s not that.”
“Then shut up and sit down. Hm.”
Rika is biting into a baked sweet potato.
“Nn~♡.”
Rika was flapping her legs.
I wonder if it tastes good.
“By the way~ Shin-chan. What were you and Dahlia… talking about?”
She asks me after finishing her baked sweet potato.
“What do you mean… just small talk.”
“What was it about? I’m curious.”
“Well… that Rika is putting all the money from her part-time job into the house.”
Rika doesn’t have a part-time job to have money to play with.
Even if you don’t think about it, she’s from a single parent, and she’s struggling.
“I was talking to Dahlia-san about how great it is.”
“Hmmm…oh, yeah. What else? You seemed to be having a lot of fun, didn’t you?”
Flickering… Rika turned her eyes toward me.
“Even though you had a girlfriend, you really enjoyed talking to each other~”
“No… Huh, Rika, are you angry?”
“B-I’m not angry at all!”
“Could it be… jealousy?”
“Huh? Jealousy? That’s weird! Don’t get me wrong!”
Rika turns away.
“………….”
“What do you say after that?”
“Uu, uu, shut up!”
She puffed up her cheeks like a rice cake and smacked me on the shoulder.
“Shin-chan no baka baka. You have me as your girlfriend, but you’re so flirtatious with another girl.”
“I-I’m sorry… but… we’re fake lovers…”
“Th, that’s right…but! If you’re not careful because it’s outside of school, they’ll find out that you’re acting!”
Hmm, Rika blows her nose.
“Make sure you pretend to be a boyfriend, even when you’re outside. Even if it’s Dahlia! Don’t be overly flirty.”
“Are you saying I shouldn’t be friendly?”
“I didn’t say that. The only thing is that… well… oh mouu! Shin-chan’s so insensitive!”
Rika’s emotional condition is so unstable, it’s bad…
“I understand. The only person I’ll be flirting outside with is Rika.”
Rika rolls her eyes and giggles.
“Yes ♡ that’s good ♡”
Rika leans her shoulder against me and rests her head on me.
It smells sweet and soothing…
“Hey… it’s getting late.”
“Yeah. I know. But I’d like to do this a little bit more.”
“Don’t you like going home?”
I felt like she was avoiding going home.
“I love my mom, but…yeah. But…yes, I don’t like to go home. When I go home, there is no one there.”
Rika’s mother is in the entertainment business.
I remember she said she was always alone at night…the last time I stayed over.
“Hey, Shin-chan. Tonight, too.”
“What?”
“It’s nothing! Let’s go home!”
Rika stood up, her face bright red, and reached for my hand.
After a while, we arrived at Rika’s apartment.
We arrived at Rika’s apartment.
“Thanks for walking me home.”
“No problem. See you later.”
“Ah…”
Rika reached out her hand to me.
She grabbed my hand with a squeak.
“…………”
Rika is staring down at me.
“Thanks for…today. The dark nighttime streets were… fun. It was really fun.”
But the reason she looks lonely is that she doesn’t want to part with me.
Maybe it’s because she wants to be closer to me.
That’s what I think, too.
That’s why I suggested this.
“Hey, if you don’t mind… If you don’t mind…can I drive you home from work with me?”
“What?”
Rika’s eyes widened.
“Oh, look. Dahlia-san is a girl, too, after all. I felt like it would be dangerous for girls to walk each other to and from school. That’s why…I’ll give you a lift.”
Rika mumbled in a daze.
“Is that… okay?”
“Yes. If it’s okay with you.”
Rika smiled like the sun and nodded repeatedly.
“Yes, yes, please!”
Thus, our relationship was to progress one more step.
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some mob
April 22, 2023 at 6:57 pm…………..Driving her to her part-time work on a limousine….LOL…..
Yorsh
April 22, 2023 at 8:41 pmThank you for the chapter.
Julian Robert
April 23, 2023 at 3:09 amThanks
Julian Robert
April 23, 2023 at 9:09 amThanks